A Who's Who of Popular Fiction Agents

Who is Marian Keyes’s agent? Who looks after Cathy Kelly and Sheila O’Flanagan? Who helped Melissa Hill climb to the top? If you write popular fiction, live in Ireland and would like to get published, these are the agents to try first as they have a proven track record with Irish authors. Now, because they have such high flying clients they may not have the time to take on new authors, but if they spot talent, they may pass you on to another agent in their company.

I secured my first agent (who was with Curtis Brown at the time) via a recommendation by Cathy Kelly. This agent and I have since amicably parted ways, but I found my new agent via another writer friend, the wonderful ‘Vampirate’ Justin Somper. I’m currently represented by Peta Nightingale in Lucas Alexander Whitley on the adult side (I also write for children). I’m her only Irish popular fiction client, but many of the other agents on my list have several ‘Irish girls’ in their stable, such as Sheila Crowley in Curtis Brown.

Peta has been a wonderful asset in many different ways. She worked as an editor for many years and has a brilliant eye for plot and character. She’s very honest and she pushes me, makes me want to be a better writer, which is vital at this stage of my career. When it came to writing my new book, The Shoestring Club (due early 2012), her help was invaluable.

These days having ‘potential’ isn’t enough, your manuscript must be as perfect as you can make it before it goes anywhere near an editor – this especially goes for popular fiction. A good agents can play a vital role in this process.

If you are looking for an agent, Godspeed. Hopefully this list may help you in some small way.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Who Represents Who? Irish Popular Fiction Writers and Their Agents with Contact Details c/o Sarah Webb www.sarahwebb.ie

Remember to check each agent’s website before you send anything out for submission guidelines.

Maeve Binchy is represented by Christine Green

Tel. 020 7401 8844 info@christinegreen.co.uk Christine Green Authors' Agent 6 Whitehorse Mews Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7QD

Marian Keyes Cathy Kelly Monica McInerney are all represented by Jonathan Lloyd (also CEO of Curtis Brown)

0044 (0)20 7393 4418 lucia@curtisbrown.co.uk

Sheila O’Flanagan is represented by Carole Blake

Blake Friedmann Literary, Film & TV Agency 122 Arlington Road London NW1 7HP

Telephone: 020 7284 0408 Fax: 020 7284 0442 email: info@blakefriedmann.co.uk

Cecelia Ahern is represented by Marianne Gunn O’Connor Marianne represents Claudia Carroll, Anita Notaro and Sinead Moriarty

Marianne Gunn O'Connor Literary Agency Morrison Chambers, Suite 17 32 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 mgoclitagency@eircom.net

Melissa Hill is represented by Sheila Crowley Sheila also represents Emma Hannigan, Sarah Harte

00 44 (0)20 7393 4492 crowleyoffice@curtisbrown.co.uk

Sarah Webb is represented by Peta Nightingale at LAW (LAW also represent Sophie Kinsella – Irish name, but not actually Irish!)

All submissions should be sent, in hard copy, by post to: LAW, 14 Vernon Street, London, W14 0RJ www.lawagency.co.uk

Clare Dowling is represented by Darley Anderson

Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency Estelle House 11 Eustace Road London SW6 1JB Tel: 020 7385 6652 Fax: 020 7386 5571 Email: enquiries@darleyanderson.com

Marita Conlon McKenna is represented by Caroline Sheldon

www.carolinesheldon.co.uk 71 Hillgate Place, London W8 7SS

Patricia Scanlan is represented by Lutyens & Rubenstein Literary Agency

www.lutyensrubinstein.co.uk 21 Kensington Park Road, London W11 2EU

Other Recommended Popular Fiction Agents:

Madeleine Buston at Darley Anderson

Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency Estelle House 11 Eustace Road London SW6 1JB Tel: 020 7385 6652 Fax: 020 7386 5571 Email: enquiries@darleyanderson.com

Lizzie Kremer at David Higham David Higham Associates 5–8 Lower John Street Golden Square London W1F 9HA Switchboard: 020 7434 5900 Fax: 020 7437 1072 E-mail: dha@davidhigham.co.uk

Rewrites, Don't You Just Love Them?

I’m on day three now of the first rewrite of The Shoestring Proposal (adult novel for 2012 – working title), and it was all going along nicely until I hit a major plot hiccup and had to start all over again. I’m trying to focus on the overall structure of the story this time but it’s very tempting to tweak at the dialogue and the sentences too. I’ve gone over the first six chapters about five times now and it’s time to let go and move on to the next section of the book. I’ll come back to the first section again later and then start the whole process all over again!

But rewriting is an interesting process. To give you some idea of what I’m up to, below is a short section of a scene from near the opening of the book, with notes (in italics) as to why I’ve added or changed things. Read it if it interests you. I’ve given you both the original version and the new version.

But first - Other things I’m working on during the rewrite – some of these are minor, some are big:

Changing the name of a secondary character from Rebecca to Jessica – I had a Rachel and a Rebecca – mother and daughter, and I was getting confused as to who was who – so I’m sure a tired reader might confuse them also.

Making my main characters – Jules and Pandora – stand out more. Adding lots of detail – clothes, mannerisms, giving them each a very particular way of speaking. A lot of this was in the first draft, but it wasn’t consistent enough. It needs to be perfect.

Making sure I’ve got all the continuity correct – Pandora was 14 when her mum died, Jules, nine; birthdays; childhoods. Is this all consistent throughout the book?

Upping the drama – making the reader FEEL is vitally important in popular fiction. Have I made the most of each and every scene?

Fact checking – lots of fact checking. I need to talk to a medic for a start – luckily I have a friend who’s a surgeon who will be able to help me. All the facts need to be 100% accurate.

Adding a rabbit (don’t ask).

Making Pandora’s meltdown BIGGER.

Putting in two new scenes – taking out other scenes, ones I know are not working.

And that’s just for starters – once my agent and my editor get their hands on it, the work really begins! Fun, fun, fun. But all part of every writer’s life.

At the end of the day, the more work you put into a book, the more love and passion and enthusiasm your pour into the pages, the better it will be.

The Shoestring Proposal (First Draft) Old version: (Bits in talics are my notes)

I knew I’d get a mixed reaction when I first suggested the trip to Paris.

(I deleted this line as I want the Paris bit to come as a surprise to the reader.) I’m standing behind the till at Shoestring, the second hand designer shop I run, along with my sister, Jules, and Bird, our spritely eighty-four-year-old granny. It’s a quiet day and Jules has wandered over for a chat.

(all a bit bla – needed more of a sense of who Jules and Pandora actually are – and I haven’t actually given Pandora a name - I want the reader to know her name early on as she’s the narrator)

  ‘Have you thought any more about your birthday present?’ she says without preamble, leaning over and plonking her elbows down on the desk. ‘How about hand-made leather gloves? There’s little place in town that makes them to measure and you can choose the leather and the lining. I know you like practical presents and it’s something a bit different. I’m not giving you a voucher again, not for your thirtieth.’ It’s now or never, I decide. ‘I’d much prefer a weekend away, Jules,’ I say, trying to keep my voice light. ‘How about Paris?’ She twists around and stares at me. ‘Paris? Are you sure?’ She has every right to be surprised. I’d spent three months studying at the Paris Institute of Fashion and Design in Montmartre in my early twenties and I’d come home with a lot more than notebooks jammed with dress ideas, and conversational French.  

OK problem here – Paris is a big deal – Pandora left Paris in a hurry and has never been back – so wanting to go there for her 30th is a HUGE deal – which isn’t clear her – and also would stop the conversation – it wouldn’t just be – Paris . . . Jules in shock . . . then back to the previous conversation – wrong, wrong, wrong! I nod. ‘I’d prefer to be out of the country when I turn thirty. That way I can pretend it isn’t really happening. Thirty’s so ancient. I can feel the crow’s feet coming on already.’ My hands flutter to the outer edges of her eyes and I start rotating the skin gently under my finger tips.

New version: (Second draft - and still a long way to go yet!)

I’m sitting behind the till at Shoestring, the second hand designer clothes shop I run, peering at the computer screen when my sister, Jules wanders in the front door pushing her road bike in front of her with one hand. She’s only ten minutes late which isn’t bad for her.

My mind’s all over the place this morning; I’m supposed to be updating our website before the shop floor starts to get too busy – adding new stock and taking down anything we’ve sold - but I’m finding it desperately hard to concentrate, so I’m glad for the distraction. ‘Hey, Pandora, have you thought any more about your birthday present?’ she says without preamble, propping her bike against the desk, swinging her bag off her shoulder and dumping it the floor, and then leaning over and plonking her elbows down on the desk, making the bracelets on her wrist jangle down her arm. She’s wearing a very odd-looking outfit today – nothing new for Jules – red knitted leggings, yellow cut-off denim shorts and a purple bat-winged top.

‘I had an idea on the way over,’ she continues, oblivious to either my stares at her get up or the fact that she’s late for work. ‘How about hand-made leather gloves? There’s little place in town that makes them to measure and you can choose the leather and the lining. I know you like practical presents and it’s something a bit different. I’m not giving you a voucher again, not for your thirtieth.’ I’ve been mulling over how to work my birthday into a conversation for a good week and now that Jules has given me the opening, I may as well get it out there. Trying to sound as breezy as possible I say ‘I’d much prefer a weekend away than a present, Jules. A city break maybe. I’d like to be out of the country when I turn thirty. That way I can pretend it isn’t really happening. Thirty’s so bloody ancient. I can feel the crow’s feet coming on already.’ I start to rotate the skin at the corner of my eyes gently under my finger tips. ‘You have to massage your face several times a day, apparently,’ I add, trying to make my ageing-concern believable. ‘And do special exercises.’

It still isn’t perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it was. Several more rewrites and I might actually be brave enough to show it to my agent. Maybe . . .

Right, back to work.

Yours in writing, Sarah XXX

Rewriting and Taking a Leap of Faith

I’m just back from holidays and about to start working on the first rewrite of The Shoestring Proposal (working title – sequel to The Shoestring Club which will be published in February 2012 - so for 2013, gulp!). After this rewrite it will go to my lovely agent, Peta for her notes. And once we are both happy with it, the rewritten draft will wing its way to my editor in Pan Macmillan. So step one: I’ve printed out the manuscript, made some early notes and this morning I’ll start reading through the pages and make even more notes. It's slow going, but it works for me.

I know it needs a lot of attention, I know one of the characters in particular isn’t quite right yet and I’m not sure about one of the story strands. I also need to do some fact checking. Rewriting is a vital part of the writing process and demands a clear head and a brave heart.

Yesterday I read JoJo Moyes’s blog (with thanks to Melissa Hill for the heads up on Twitter). This is what she said about rewriting one of her books:

So, four days ago I took the decision to cut 70,000 words out of my finished book, and rewrite them. Yup, I’ll say that again. Seventy thousand words. Or, to put it another way, a shortish novel. I didn’t do it lightly; even now, a few days on, it feels a bit like an amputation. The most I have ever cut at one time is around 5,000 words (a chapter). When I talked about it to friends this weekend I found myself saying the words with a slightly-too-giddy laugh “I’ve just deleted 70,000 words of my latest! I know! hahaha!” and using the kind of voice that suggests an imminent lurch towards a gin bottle. But I had handed the manuscript over to my agent in June, and a month’s distance – and a barely perceptible edge to her words which told me that while she loved it, she didn’t love it as much as the last two – meant that something had to give. In today’s unforgiving publishing landscape, you can’t afford to put out a book that you – or your agent – doesn’t believe is not just good, but the best darn thing you have ever written. And here is the galling thing. I think I knew. The book – The Girl You Left Behind – is a dual timeframe epic about love, betrayal and nazi-looted art. Half of it is set in German-occupied France in 1916 – a subject I thought I would struggle with. But no, that part of the book flew; it was the modern plot-line that refused to take off.

And from 20,000 words on, a little voice at the back of my head kept whispering that it wasn’t quite working. I tinkered. I rewrote. I told myself that it was a huge subject, a complex plot. I reassured myself that I had often felt ambivalent about finished work. As writer Debi Alper tweeted me afterwards: “It’s hard to draw the line between clever gut and inner critic.” By the time I handed it over, I knew I had done a good job. But that little voice was still there, muffled but insistent. And then I sat down and checked the proofs of my finished book, Me Before You, which will be published in January, and I made a horrible realisation. The Girl You Left Behind was just not as good. So here I am, 2000 words in to a 70000 word rewrite. I have no idea how I will get it done in time. I suspect a return to the 6am writing stints will follow (bleurgh). It will be stressful and, as a freelance, it will cost me money. The good news is this (and believe me, I need some good news): even 2000 words in, the new plot feels right. (I’m going to assume that’s my clever gut talking. And not an ulcer.) But it has taught me a valuable lesson. Firstly, that buying yourself a month away from your work in progress is a really useful thing. And, secondly, that if a little nagging voice is repeatedly telling you something is wrong, then, guess what? It probably is. And the sooner you can accept that, take a step back and re-work it, the less likely you are to be working out how to rewrite an entire novel during your summer holidays.

70,000 words! Brave, brave woman. But sometimes courage is what it takes; courage and conviction and, above all, the will to work hard and to stick with it until you get every scene, every word right. As I’ve said time and time again, writing is all about rewriting. It’s part of the craft of writing; it’s part of every writer’s life. And it’s also what separates the published from the unpublished.

So here I am – at stage one. I’ll let you know how I get on and what changes and decisions I make along the way as it may be useful to you. Documenting it will certainly be useful to me and help to keep me motivated. And as my head is still drowsy from my holidays, I need to focus. Focus, Sarah. Back to the book! (And there is the small matter of Amy Green 5 also – which I’ll be starting next week – ah yes, the joy of juggling!)

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

The Joy of Rewriting

And So I Come to the Final Day I’m procrastinating. My book – The Shoestring Proposal (working title – The Shoestring Club is book 1, this is Shoestring book 2) - is one chapter away from completion. Yes, it’s only the first draft and a fairly loose one at that. Half way through writing it I changed all kinds of things: the name of one character, another character’s motivation, the age of a child. So it’s all up for grabs in the second draft.

After writing the book solidly since Thursday 3rd February (I keep a writing diary with daily output including a word count – it’s a way of staying motivated and it’s really interesting to read back over the entries too) I know exactly what I want the book to be, what I’m trying to say on the pages, how I want the reader to feel while reading it. I just have to re-write it now and craft it into the best novel it can be, the closest I can get to my vision of the book.

I love the rewrite stage. I love tinkering with scenes, making them stronger, cutting away the fat, leaving the good, lean stuff, the muscle if you like. Tightening the dialogue, making the characters BIGGER. Making sure each person’s dialogue is distinctive. It’s an exciting stage of the writing process and one that isn’t (as far as I know) taught in schools, which is a shame. The re-writing habit should start early.

A few weeks ago I was corresponding with a writer who wants desperately to be published. I asked her how long it took her to write her book. Nineteen days she said. I was impressed and slightly taken aback. She must have been going at it full tilt.

‘And the re-writes?’ I asked.

She seemed puzzled for a second. ‘The editing you mean?’ she said. ‘Oh, they’ll do that at the publishing house. I don’t have time for all that.’

I was about to explain how you might only get one shot to impress an editor or an agent etc etc, but I kept my mouth shut. She’s clearly a very busy woman!

Next week is the West Cork Literary Festival and I’m speaking to young readers about the Ask Amy Green books and also hosting a workshop, again for young readers. After that, my holiday proper begins. Two weeks to read, eat, sail, swim and read. Did I mention the reading? Monday’s post is all about the books I’m taking with me. After that, in August, I’m back on Ask Amy Green duty, writing book 5. I can’t wait! It’s all about a young Irish ballerina and is set in Dublin and Budapest. See – my job is so much fun!

Then, when I’ve written the first draft, it’s back to The Shoestring Proposal. I’ll read over the manuscript in hard copy, make copious notes and start rewriting, by hand in notebooks and also directly onto my laptop (shell pink Sony in case anyone’s interested). It won’t go near my agent or editor until I’ve done at least three rewrites. Then – probably half way through this process – my Ask Amy Green editorial notes will wing their way back to me and I’ll get stuck in to them quickly as that book is out next year. Shoestring 2 won’t be published until 2013. Phew!

But look at me now, still procrastinating. I’m due at the page but the honest truth is I don’t want to finish this book. I’ve had so much fun writing it. Typing The End means saying goodbye to Pandora and Jules and Iris and Bird and all the characters I’ve had so much fun writing about over the last 2 years. God knows what I’ll be like saying goodbye to Amy and Clover after 5 years! But such is the writing life. And it’s a good one.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

PS Look out for the shiny new sarahwebb.ie website in September – it’s only beautiful! PPS My book is now finished - yes! *sniff, sniff*

The 21 Books I'm Taking On My Summer Holidays!

http://askamygreen.blogspot.com/ Link to the picture - for some reason it wouldn't work on this blog - apologies! I'll try again later.

This is the pile of books I’m taking on my summer holidays, whittled down from a much larger selection. I’ve been collecting them for months and I can’t wait to get stuck in. The best popular fiction, a Patrick Ness short story collection I’ve been meaning to read for ages, some YA fiction that’s coming out in the autumn, some non fiction, including Moneyball, about baseball (I love good sports books and films), and a couple of research books for my next novel.

The problem is, I only have three weeks! But I love having choice. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for anything too heavy, other times I want to get my teeth into something a bit more challenging (which is when I’ll pick up one of the YA books!). Different books for different moods.

My idea of a blissful holiday is this: quiet beach, sitting in the shade, reading while my children play in the sand or sail.

What books have you packed?

Yours in writing (and reading!),

Sarah XXX

I’m off to West Cork for most of July, so see you in August. Have a great month, hope you too get some good reading time in. I’ll be launching my band new website in September. But don’t worry, I’ll be continuing the Yours in Writing blog.

Book Festivals and What They Mean to Writers

I spent a good chunk of last weekend at the Dalkey Book Festival. There was a lovely atmosphere – lots of multi-coloured bunting slung across the streets, face painting, music – a very happy, party feel to the village. I grew up in Dalkey, near the quarry, and it’s a place very close to my heart. It’s wonderful to see such a vibrant, lively festival take over the streets.

On Saturday I hosted a writing workshop for children. Billed as for age 9+, I had a 5 year old and a 7 year old ‘writing’, or more accurately drawing pictures of what they wanted to say in their work (and very good they were too). And one very brave boy who was full of excellent ideas and didn’t seem to be at all phased to be flying solo amongst so many girls.

We did several fun exercises, concentrating on using your senses in your work – especially smell – which writers starting out don’t use half enough. Certain scents transport us to different times of our life, to other countries, to sad thoughts, to happy times.

On Sunday I spoke to Amy Green readers about ideas and inspiration, and we acted out a scene from the first Amy Green book, Boy Trouble. I had a lot of fun, and I hope they did too! Meeting readers is always a pleasure and makes my ‘day job’ worthwhile.

I also got to see some of my writer friends: Martina Devlin, Don Conroy, Niamh Sharkey, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Judi Curtin, Conor Kostick and Sinead Moriarty. We had lunch together, chatted and caught up. It’s always lovely to talk to other writers, they truly understand the pressures and joys of living a writer’s life.

I also listened to Martina Devlin and John Waters speak about being ‘blow-ins’ in Dalkey, which was most interesting. I always learn something new at other writers’ talks and try to attend as many as I can. I greatly enjoyed Listowel Writers’ Week for that reason – and made sure to catch as many different authors and musicians as possible, from Joe Craig on the piano, to Joseph O’Connor with ‘his’ band, and Alice Sebold.

Writing can be a lonely occupation at times, and book festivals are a fantastic opportunity to get out and meet fellow readers and writers. Feeding the mind and the soul is always a good thing. And it reminds me how important books are in so many different peoples’ lives, which as a writer is heartening and inspiring to know.

I’m already looking forward to the West Cork Literary Festival in July – David Soul and Michael Morpurgo in particular. And the Mountains to Sea Festival in September in Dun Laoghaire with Oliver Jeffers, Patrick Ness, Meg Rosoff, Emma Donoghue and Edna O’Brien.

Yours in Writing,

Sarah XXX

Writing is Hard, But Not Writing is Even Harder

(I wrote this last Friday.) I should be writing my new novel, The Shoestring Proposal right now. But I’m not feeling great, I’m low on energy – in a word I’m grumpy. I’m finding it hard to settle to anything and all I want to do is to go back to bed and sleep.

But I can’t. Because I have to show up at work. If I don’t, the book won’t get done and I’ll get behind and I’ll get even more grumpy and fed up. So I’ve dragged myself to the computer and I’m now about to get back to writing. I’m at 60,000 words, so ¾ of the way there, and the final chapters are usually easier for me as I know my characters inside out by this stage of the story, and I also know how I want to end the book. Getting to that end will be the interesting bit.

Writing is not easy, especially when the only person forcing you to the desk is yourself. And sometimes it’s not a good idea to make yourself work when your heart isn’t in it, it can come across in the work. But today is different. I haven’t written for a whole week, and if I don’t write today I know I’ll feel guilty all weekend. I need to put in a good writing week next week, at least four days at the desk. And in order to do that I need to write something today, anything, to get me back on track and living in my book again. Not writing makes me twitchy and unbalanced, and it also makes me feel horribly guilty.

Full time writers have the luxury of more time at the desk. But in the case of genre fiction (and increasingly all kinds of fiction), writers have to produce at least one book a year. This year Melissa Hill produced two books – one romance and one crime. Last year I published four books – three for children, one for adults. It’s a busy, busy life and writing to a strict deadline can be stressful.

Writers also have other commitments – websites to run, blogs to write, Twitter and Facebook to upkeep, festivals to talk at, schools to visit, interviews to give (and during publication month, this increases x 100), emails to answer from readers, and the whole admin side of things – emails, letters and phone calls from editors, agents, banks, accountants . . . all the things that make up a normal working person’s life in fact. There is a huge (and increasing) amount of paperwork.

But here’s the thing – it’s not as hard as getting up at 5am to cook breakfasts in a café, or housekeeping in a hotel, or waitressing for a pittance, or spending all day on your feet in a bookshop, or minding young children, or trying to sell long distance telephone lines to people who slam down the phone on you – some of the jobs I’ve had before writing full time. Writing is mentally draining, yes, but you are your own boss, you are doing something you love, and the book world is full of interesting and passionate people, especially the children’s book world.

And above all I am hugely privileged to have readers who care enough to buy the books in the first place and then write to me, thanking me for giving them another story to get lost in. So for these reasons, I am going to give myself a good shake and turn up at the page. Because writing is hard, but not writing is even harder.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

PS Despite everything, I managed 2,000 words and I feel much better for it – see, writing really can be magic.

The Importance of Character’s Names

I was in Listowel last week for the Writers’ Festival and I had a very interesting discussion with my popular fiction class about characters’ names. Often new writers don’t put enough thought or effort (or any thought or effort) into choosing names for their characters. Names are so important. Think how many hours/days/weeks people spend choosing names for their children. Names say a lot about us and our background. Some families have Christian names that have been passed down through the generations, like Colm, Sean or John. Surnames are equally important and say so much about a family. My mother was a Stanford. The male Stanfords were church men and academics. My grandfather’s name was William Bedell Stanford and he was a Professor of Classics at Trinity College, Dublin. I have an aunt called Danae, my mum is Melissa and my uncle, Gully. Strong names.

Make your character’s names mean something.

In the Amy Green books I’ve named each character carefully. Amy Green is everygirl – and her name reflects this I think as it’s an open, inclusive name. Many girls, including my own daughter, Amy-Rose, are called Amy. Clover Wildgust (an old surname I found on a gravestone), Amy’s rather mad 17 year old aunt, is a BIG character, so deserved a big name. Sylvie Wildgust, Clover’s sister and Amy’s mum, can be a bit wispy and overcome by life, I thought Sylvie suited her. Art Green is Amy’s dad, a strong, but at times selfish man. Shelly Lame, Art’s second wife, is in a word, lame!

The mean girls – the D4s – are Annabelle Hamilton, Nina Pickering, Sophie Piggott. Seth Stone is Amy’s boyfriend, Bailey Otis is Mills’s singer/surfer boyfriend.

In the new adult book, The Shoestring Club, out next spring, the main character is Julia Schuster, ‘Jules’ or Julia Boolia or Boolie, a lovable mess. Her (bossy older) sister is Pandora, and she has an eccentric granny called Bird. Arietty Pilgrim is Julia’s outspoken and unusual friend, who is originally from Trinidad and now works in Dublin Zoo. Again, all carefully chosen and I hope memorable and a little different.

There are so many wonderful names out there – go on, stretch yourself! Read gravestones, telephone directories, programmes from school concerts (great for children’s names – which change over time – Sophie is v popular at the moment for 7/8/9 year olds!) – all are invaluable resources for the writer.

Happy naming!

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Do You Have a Writing Uniform?

I was once asked this during a school visit. It made me laugh. But I told the girl, yes, I do! I probably shouldn’t admit this to you guys because it sounds a little strange, but I have a writing uniform. On writing days I put on my uniform first thing in the morning – it’s like a statement of intent. OK, I guess I’ll have to describe it now, won’t I? Because like me, I know you’re curious about other people, a trait that unites most writers. My uniform is the opposite of glamorous. The main criteria - comfort, followed closely by warmth. We live in a Georgian house with leaky windows and I write mainly upstairs in my bedroom at a tiny wooden desk that I used to do my homework at as a child. I’ve written all my books at this desk; I guess it’s my good luck desk at this stage.

Last week I treated myself to a new writer’s uniform, but it’s basically exactly the same kit: light weight fleece hoody (yes, I have been known to put the hood up when I’m writing in the winter and my ears get cold) over a long sleeved T-shirt. My new fleece is dark pink – a very cheery colour. And then I have various black or navy tracksuit bottoms and yoga trousers – I vary these depending on the weather. Told you it wasn’t very glam! And no, I’m not posting a photo – that would be a step too far.

I also have to take off my watch before writing – it bothers my wrist. And any rings or bracelets. And I throw a rug over my legs – even in the middle of the summer I get cold sitting there for hours at my desk, and again, it’s comforting.

Every writer has their own ‘thing’ that gets them to the page. For some it’s coffee, for others it’s music. I know several of my friends have their own version of a writer’s uniform but I won’t out them! A few years ago I bought a good office chair and it was a great investment. It’s solid and heavy and makes me feel supported. And that’s pretty much it – uniform, Sony laptop, notebook, dictionary, pens, desk, chair – that’s all I need.

Have you found your own writerly comforts yet? I hope so. And do share if you also have a writing uniform!

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Are You Writing Fit?

‘What’s that?’ Charlie says.We’re taking the short cut home from school, through the wood. It’s dark in here and the mouldy, damp leaves smell like rotten meat. ‘What’s what?’ I ask, stepping over a muddy patch and trying not to get my new white runners even filthier. Mum’s going to have enough of a fit already. It’s not my fault - you can’t play footie with the boys without getting your shoes a bit scuffed. He lowers his voice. ‘The rustling. I think there’s someone following us.’ A stick breaks and something moves in the bushes behind us. He’s right. There’s someone, or something there. I take a deep breath and swing around. And then I get the shock of my life . . .

I wrote these opening lines for a Bord Gais Writing Competition for children of age 7+. I said yes to doing it because I knew it was something I could do quickly. I don’t know about you, but life’s moving pretty fast these days and I’m struggling a bit to keep up with all my various commitments. But I do everything I can to supporting anything to do with young readers or writers.

The young writers entering this particular competition will be both boys and girls, so I made the two main characters one of each. I gave it a forest setting to make it a little unsettling/different, and ended it abruptly to get them instantly involved in the story, instantly thinking ‘who’s in the bushes? A monster, an alien, a girl from school . . .’.

The young writers can add to the story and make of it what they will – a ghost story, a horror blood fest, a sci fi alien invasion, a unicorn fantasy tale – whatever genre or mash-up of genres they like. It took me roughly five minutes to think up and write, and a future ten minutes to edit and play around with it until I was happy. But here’s the thing – it took me fifteen minutes in total because my mind is trained to think of stories, characters and ‘what ifs’. My writing muscles are reasonably fit and healthy at the moment (wish I could say the same about the rest of me!).

As a writer you have a huge advantage if you are writing fit. When I visit schools I always tell the children – ‘If you want to win the X Factor, you have to practice. If you want to run or hurdle in the Olympics, you have to practice; if you want to be a published writer, you have to . . . practice.’ And it’s true. It amazes me how many people think they can just pick up a pen, scribble down a first draft, and boom, they will be the next Marian Keyes or Jon Banville. I don’t think the average person has any idea how the writing process really works. The hundreds of hours that go into thinking, making notes, writing, rewriting (x 8/10/12 times in the case of most of my books), editing, copy editing.

In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron says ‘Over the long term, writing is a lot like marathon running and, just as a runner suffers withdrawal when unable to run for a day or two, so, too, does a working writer miss his writing work. A certain amount of writing, like a certain amount of miles, keeps the artistic athlete happy and fit. Without this regular regime, tensions build up. Irritability sets in, life becomes somehow far less hospitable. A good writing day rights this again.’

Julia is bang on. Regular writers get very twitchy if they haven’t been at the page enough. The page is their lodestar.

I’ve been a published writer for over fifteen years now, full time for eight. And it has taken me a long time to find a writing routine that suits me, a balance between sitting long hours at my desk, and doing other things that I enjoy – like organising festivals, doing school visits and talks, touring – all which send me back to my desk happy and glad to be writing again. I’m a very sociable person, I like company, and I’m prone to feeling down and alone, so I have to be careful to pepper my writing week with solid, fun human interaction. But I miss my desk if I’m away from it for too long – it’s all about balance.

Each writer has to find their own writing routine. But routine is the key. No practice without routine. No publication without practice and damn hard work, and as Patrick Ness always says ‘writing with joy’ - turning up to the page every day (or as often as you can), and writing as if it’s your last day on earth. And that’s the ‘secret’ of getting published in a nutshell – routine, practice, hard work, joy . . .

So it’s back to the page for me to unleash some of that joy.

Until next week, yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

The Key Ingredients of Successful Popular Fiction

I’ve been reading a lot of popular fiction recently. For two reasons: there are loads of cracking new books out by some of my favourite writers, and also I’ve been quite tired and a bit run down and there’s nothing like curling up in bed with a comforting book when you’re feeling under the weather. I’m also reading a biography of Emily Dickinson, but it’s dense (if fascinating), and I can’t always rustle up the energy to tackle it. Does this make me any less of a reader? No. It means I am a normal, busy mother of three who needs some time out at the end of the day. And as a writer I love the idea that another tired mother, or lawyer, or nurse, or teacher, or bookseller is looking forward to a few pages of one of my books after their busy day.

Two books have really stood out:

I adored The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyles. It’s a stunning book, swooningly romantic, beautifully written, seamlessly plotted. It’s the story of two women, one the discontented 1950s wife of a rich business man, the other a young modern journalist who is having an affair with a famous middle-aged crime writer. The characters are flawed and at times you want to give both of them a good shake, but they are hugely likable, real women.

I also loved Summer of Love by Katie Fforde. Katie’s books are sheer pleasure. You know she’s going to cleverly keep the main character and her love interest apart until the very last chapter, and her leading women are the epitome of warmth. I’ve fallen for every one of her heroines.

I read another book recently and nearly threw it at with wall in frustration. I wanted to like the book – it was by a new author and the premise was spot on – but the characters. Mamma mia! There were nine main characters (far too many to keep proper track of – I’d recommend no more than five or six tops), none of whom where all that nice or interesting. There was no humour, no warmth, a lot of ‘poor me’, and I did well to finish it at all. I won’t be recommending it to anyone. It’s a shame, I always like to see new blood in the popular fiction genre, it keeps both readers and the book trade interested.

If the characters do not win us over (I’m speaking as a reader here), if in some way they remain unredeemed at the end of the book, if we wonder why we’ve wasted hours of our reading life with such unpleasant (fictional) people, then the writer has a problem. And they clearly haven’t read enough popular fiction to know better. I think some people think it’s ‘easy’ to write popular fiction. But as Nathaniel Hawthorne once said ‘Easy reading is damn hard writing’, and not everyone is suited to it.

Marian and Cathy and Sheila and Maeve and Cecelia are well suited to it, along with other Irish writers who are blazing the trail world wide. Irish popular fiction is renowned for its warmth and its realistic, likable characters. International readers talk about the humour of the dialogue, the close knit family units, the steadfast, lifelong friendships in the books. The two words that appear over and over again are warmth and humour. Jojo and Katie nail this too - do they have Irish ancestors I wonder – only kidding ;).

If you’re writing popular fiction, reading some of the best books in the genre is a must. I’d highly recommend both Katie and Jojo’s latest novels to anyone.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Lessons for a Writing Life

One of my friends in writing is having trouble finding an agent. They like her writing very much, but they say the market is difficult and they just can’t take a risk on someone new at the moment. This must be really tough to hear – that you’re good but circumstances beyond your control are conspiring to prevent you from being published. I told her to keep going – that the writing’s the thing. That if she can afford to, to give herself some more time and maybe work on a new book, a book that she HAS to write, more than anything else in the world. A book that means so much to her that she can’t not write it.

She’s so close but it would be so easy to give up at this stage. But I have every confidence that she’ll keep writing, because she is a true book lover and adores the writing life.

If you are in a similar situation, hang in there. Keep writing – don’t stop. Even if you have to write at night or early in the morning or in snatched work breaks, you are still a writer.

I’m not usually one for chain email type things, but one struck a chord with me this week. It’s by a 90 year old woman from Ohio called Regina Brett and was originally one of her newspaper columns. As I read it, I realised how many of her maxims for life were relevant to a writing life. So I’ve updated some of them. My additions are the ones underneath Regina’s lines.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Life Lessons Lessons for a Writing Life

Life isn't fair, but it's still good. Publishing isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

When in doubt, just take the next small step. When in doubt, just keep writing.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Life is too short to waste time worrying about other writers and how brilliant/critically acclaimed/famous/rich they are.

You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. You won’t always agree with your editor or agent – pick your battles.

Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. Save when you can. Writing is a precarious business.

When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. Nothing I can add there!

Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. Use your regrets and mistakes to fuel your books. It’s all material.

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don’t compare your writing or publishing career to others. You have no idea how many unpublished manuscripts are sitting under their beds.

When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. Amen to that.

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. Give it all away, every day. Don’t save a brilliant idea for another book. Use it, right now.

Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. Show up to the page, every day, and write with passion.

Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. Walking is a great way to start a writing day – get outside – ideas are everywhere.

All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. (And that you wrote!)

How a Book Advance Gets Paid

The news from the London Book Fair that Irish writer, Kathleen MacMahon has received £500,000 for her first book, This is How It Ends is very cheering for writers and the book trade alike. Little, Brown are clearly madly in love with the book, describing it as ‘literary commercial fiction’, ie a perfect book for book clubs to savour, but also a novel to get lost in on the daily commute. The Help would be ‘literary commercial fiction’ for eg. I would argue that Bridget Jones’s Diary is also ‘literary’ in its own way – an argument for another day.

The book sounds to me like an Irish ‘Bridges of Madison County’, a book (and film) I love. It’s billed as a love story between an American man and an unemployed Irish architect. ‘You close the book, you want to bawl your eyes out, and then you want to tell everyone about it,’ her agent, Marianne Gunn O’Connor told today's The Irish Times - Marianne is also Cecelia Ahern’s agent.

Anyway, I was at a meeting this morning and I was asked how the advance would be paid – would Kathleen be handed a cheque for £500,000 as soon as she signed the contract? Not exactly.

So here’s how it works:

Usually a book contract will say something like ‘The publishers shall pay to the Author as a non-returnable advance on account of all monies that may become due to the Author under this Agreement a sum of – in this case - £500,000, being £250,000 per title, to be accounted separately.’

The money might be split up and paid as follows (ballpark figures only):

A sum on signing the contract – say £100k (£50k per title) (could be slightly more, depending on each publisher – some build it into delivery/publication etc)

A sum on delivery of each work (if book 1 of the contract already written, as in this case, part 1 of this payment would be paid on signing also for the first book) – say £50k

A sum on first UK publication of each title in the contract or eighteen months after delivery of the manuscript (whichever happens first) – say £50k

A sum on first US publication of each title in the contract (in this case, Grand Central in the US). Say £50k

Marianne Gunn O’Connor, Kathleen’s agent will take 15% of the overall deal. This would be the standard rate for a literary agent.

At present, Irish writers can earn e40,000 a year before tax. You do have to pay PRSI however.

The advance is usually non-returnable – which means it’s a gamble for the publisher. If it doesn’t sell, they can lose a lot of money. But publishers are smart and know a good book when they read one, and this one sounds great!

Apparently Kathleen will also earn more if the novel makes the bestseller lists – and obviously if film rights are sold, this will be extra income (film rights I believe are taxable as they are not book royalties as such).

So Kathleen may get a figure of say £150,000 up front – of which Ms Gunn O’Connor will get 15%, and the writer will pay tax on anything over £40k. Which is a fantastic, dream sum for any debut writer, and was the highest advance of the Fair. But also remember that her book may be the product of many years of hard work – plus a lifetime’s worth of reading, and living – you can’t write without a lot of experiences to write about! (Unless you are Emily Dickinson perhaps – again, a subject for another day.) Plus she may only write a book every two or three years – so that may be her book income for several years, not just one year.

Overall, it’s GREAT news for Irish writers – UK and US publishers are actively looking for great books by us. In fact, it’s the best news I’ve heard all week.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

No-one at Home Understands

Does Ben Read Your Books? (Ben being my long suffering partner-type person). I'm often asked this and the answer is no. Ben has read a few of my adult novels – When the Boys are Away for example, mainly because he remains convinced it is about him. Well us really. It’s about Meg and Simon. Simon is a professional sailor and travels a lot, leaving Meg at home keeping things rolling. Which understandably she grows to resent after a while. Ben used to be a professional sailor I should add, before I met him. And after I wrote this book he took 2 years out to do an Olympic campaign. But it really isn’t about him/us!

He’s also read Always the Bridesmaid and the first Ask Amy Green book. He’s a sci fi reader mainly. Sci fi and Jeremy Clarkson books. Oh and popular business books – The Tipping Point, that kind of thing. I write books mainly for myself (now and as a teen), so it’s hardly surprising that he finds them ‘interesting’ (a little baffling).

But here’s the thing – he’s very supportive of my writing. He understands when I switch on the light in the middle of the night and start scribbling into a notebook. He puts up with my questions about men and their ‘feelings’. He doesn’t take offence when I put my hand in the air like a traffic warden and say ‘don’t talk to me, I’m thinking’. So rude, I know! But when I have an idea running in my head, I need to concentrate on it. It happens mainly in the car or out walking. He just lets me think away, sometimes muttering to myself and scribbling on my hand. He goes on research trips with me, lately to Paris and Budapest (he was hardly complaining – but he did have to go to the Hungarian Ballet which was a first for him!).

He rarely complains when I write late at night, again ignoring him. He knows I have to read a lot, go to talks and events, look at art, walk, and generally mooch around to get ideas. Writers must live to have things to write about. They must have space to think and mull things over – which is damn hard for anyone with kids, pets, friends, partners etc. Or a job. Especially a job. At least I get to write full time now.

You need a supportive other half to write. You need someone who understands your creativity and your urge to write.

You need a space to write – and the ‘permission’ to retreat there, ignoring your family.

You need time to write – and this may impact on family time. But I think it’s best to find some low-impact times to write at first – early in the morning, late at night – not during the kids’ bedtime for eg, leaving your other half to do it! Commuting time is also good – when I worked for Eason I used to write on the train a lot.

If your partner is not a book person, find someone who is to share you work with if you feel the urge. I rarely share my work with anyone other than my agent, editor and one close friend, but some writers need feedback.

Show you are serious about your writing. Getting something published helps – then your partner has proof that you are not delusional, that someone professional likes your work too. If you get paid for your work it is no longer a ‘hobby’ (I dislike that word – writing is a way of life, not a hobby!).

I hope you all find the writerly support you need.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Writing When You Don’t Want To Write

'Being a real writer means being able to do the work on a bad day'. Norman Mailer I read this Norman Mailer quote on Sheila O’Flanagan’s Facebook page yesterday and it’s been ringing in my ears ever since.

I’m not feeling great this morning – I’ve spent the last few nights working on an Arts Council Funding Application, after a day’s writing and other things. My lower back is at me, from lifting Brownies over logs in the forest on their Indian Tracking Day yesterday (don’t ask!), and I don’t really feel like writing at all. But here’s the thing – it’s my job. And I know once I actually sit down and get on with it, I’ll be just fine. So that’s what I have to do.

I’m working on the second Shoestring novel – for 2013 – and I need to get it finished before the summer, so I can take my family holiday without feeling guilty or stressed. I’ve written 25k so far and plotted the whole book loosely, so I’m doing well so far. As the setting and the characters are the same (although it’s a different voice telling this one – Pandora rather than Jules), it has been easier to get into than other books. Then it’s straight back to the 5th Amy Green book. I’ve also got plans for another adult book which I think has a really great and very simple hook. More about that soon.

But sometimes it does take a huge amount of will to get me sitting down in the first place. I have books to review for Monday, two of them, and I could be curled up in bed reading them. But right now, I have to write (yep, still trying to talk myself into it).

Mailer is right. I’ll be teaching a popular fiction workshop at Listowel Writers’ Week in June and the first lesson will be – you got it, bum glue. Sitting down and getting on with it. So I guess I’d better take my own advice. And GET ON WITH IT!

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

PS Well what do you know? I managed 2,544 words this morning after all the procrastination and moaning. Just goes to show, sometimes the worst writing days turn into the best writing days.

Dream Editorial Feedback

Dear Fellow Writers and Readers,I got the most wonderful email from my editor today - the kind of feedback that makes all the hard slog so worthwhile. So I wanted to share it with you. I've taken out any spoilers, don't worry. I got an equally lovely one from my other editor too, a fab young editor I'm having such fun working with. I do hope you all get emails like this some time in the future. Yours in writing, SarahXXX

Dear Sarah

I just wanted to let you know how much I loved THE SHOESTRING CLUB. It's a really terrific, engaging and totally unputdownable read with wonderfully drawn characters. While it's incredibly warm and the humour is well done, there are some very dark moments which you've executed brilliantly. Julia is a complex character with whom the reader sympathises in every way - urging her on to find the right man in the end and to forget about . . . (spoiler) The scene where she confronts her. . . is so moving, and her Dad, Pandora and Bird are such a terrific support to her. It's so heartwarming Sarah, and has much about it which reminds me of Marian Keyes without being in the least derivative.

I've always enjoyed your books Sarah, but I really feel this one is a big step up and we're all confident that it will bring you the success you so deserve. I know . . . is really enjoying working with you on the book. We'll be doing proofs for this one so we'll be sure to get them for . . . in good time.

So let us know when you're over here so that . . . and I can take you both to lunch.

More on Titles

The title for the next Ask Amy Green book – book 4 in the series – has recently changed from Party Drama-rama to Love and Other Drama-ramas. And it was difficult enough to find a new title. The story changed quite a bit at editorial stage, so the old title didn’t really fit anymore. Originally Sylvie’s hen party (Amy’s mum) was a big part of the book, but now it plays a less important role. So ‘party’ didn’t work. Back to the drawing board.

The book is mainly about a boy called Bailey Otis who is Mills’s new boyfriend in the first few chapters, but (spoiler alert!) something happens and he changes utterly and lets her down.

So it’s about family ties, boys, the nature of friendship, and loss. Here are some of the titles I came up with:

Friends and Other Drama-ramas (from the start we were all keen on the word drama-rama) Double Drama-ramas Dublin Drama-rama The Friendship Drama-rama Dates and Other Drama-ramas Disaster/Dizzying Dilemma (and a lot of other d words!) Double Dilemma Friends and Frenemies Boys and Other Drama-ramas

But none of them were quite right. So then my lovely editor, Annalie came up with Love and Other Drama-ramas. And I breathed a sigh of relief. It just seemed . . . right. The book is – at its heart – about love and all the drama that goes with it. The search was over.

Some titles come easily. From the very start the first Amy Green was Boy Trouble, simple. The next one – Summer Secrets – again, easy. Although the word ‘Summer’ can be a tricky one as sometimes bookshops won’t stock ‘summer’ books in the depths of winter. A discussion for another day. And Bridesmaid Blitz – again easy!

Books 5 and 6 are (at the moment) called Dancing Daze and Wedding Belles. But book 4 was always a sticky one for some reason. Sometimes titles are just difficult. Doesn’t mean the book isn’t brilliant of course. And I ADORE Amy 4. Hope my readers will do. It’s out in September so we’ll have to wait and see. With a brand new cover look for all the titles.

I think the best titles are simple, catchy, easy to remember and either sum up the book perfectly or give a taste or a mood of the book.

My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece is a recent example of a memorable title. It’s about a teenage who literally lives on the mantelpiece – in a jar – as she was blown up by terrorists. No, not subtle, but very, very strong image don’t you think?

Wuthering Tights – another good one.

Billionaire Boy – simple yet effective.

Names work well – especially unusual, funny or odd names – Skulduggery Pleasant, Judy Moody, Coraline. Alliteration can also work well – Bridesmaid Blitz.

For romantic comedy, song titles or well known sayings can be good – Always the Bridesmaid, The Loving Kind (yep, I borrowed them both!). My latest adult one (out next spring) is called The Shoestring Club. It’s about two sisters who run a second hand designer shop called Shoestring (designer clothes on a shoestring is their slogan). It’s simple and I think it works.

Above all, make your title interesting and make it say something about the book. The one title I’m not all that keen on of my own titles is Some Kind of Wonderful. It doesn’t really say anything about the book. I should have put more thought into it to be honest.

So do think carefully about your title, it’s important. And if you’re having problems coming up with something good, ask for help. Sometimes us writers are too close to our own work to see the wood for the trees.

Good luck with finding the right title for your own book.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

What Makes a Good Book? An Editor's View

Right, a quick blog on what makes a good book, prompted by an Irish Pen meeting last night. The following comments were made by the panel - Ciaran Carty, Patricia Deevy, Bob from The Gutter Bookshp and Margaret (a reader):

Ciaran Carty, ex film critic of The Sunday Tribune, has moved New Irish Writing to a new home at the Irish Independent. Good new for short story writers. He's looking for original stories with something special at thier heart - he said their is no 'type' of story he wants in particular, anything goes!

The stories will now appear on the last Sat of every month in the Irish Indo. New Irish Writing has been running since 1988 and it’s great to see it continue. It's a good shop window for new writers and people like Martina Devlin and Joe O'Connor and John Boyne are past 'New Irish Writers'.

He believes good books are made by good readers.

Patricia Deevy from Penguin Ireland was also most interesting.

She spoke as her role as an editor and what she is looking for in a ‘good’ book to publish. ON editing - she said that good writers are keen to be edited as they know it makes their work better – very true.

‘Writers must believe in what they are doing,’ she said. ‘They have to express clearly what they want to say and their book has to come from somewhere deep inside them.’

She suggested that the best books give readers an immersive experience – which is an excellent way of describing it. She also said that popular fiction is the result of a lot of hard work (hear, hear!) and that writers need to be ambitious and to push the boundaries. Above all she wanted to see original books. And no copy cat books please, or books written to a formula.

Patricia only took on one new novelist last year – one! Scary statistic!

Bob Johnson from The Gutter Bookshop said reading gives writers an understanding of how books work. He also said that originality is vital and he only accepts one in every ten books he is shown as a book buyer.

And a reader, Margaret shared her loved of Little Women and a book called South Riding. She said a good book is like falling in love – you want to spend as much time as possible with the object of your affection.

All in all, an interesting evening.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Romcom Cliches and Why They Work

A few weeks back I posted some YA clichés, this time it’s the turn of the rom-coms. This goes for books mainly, but also movies. Please feel free to add some of your own in the comment box! Some romantic comedy conventions:

1/ A chase – especially an airport chase. 2/ The ‘cute meet’ – the main characters meeting somewhere sweet – pet shop, zoo etc etc 3/ boyfriend/hubby going off with a best friend/sister – a la In Her Shoes 4/ Arguments in restaurants or other very public places (so much more interesting than arguments in private!) 5/ Girls who work in publishing/bookshops/magazines 6/ Girls who are florists, event managers, wedding planners, cooks/bakers 7/ The Mr Darcy syndrome – hate turning to love 8/ The gay best friend – more in movies than books funnily enough 9/ The quirky best friend (often with red/pink/bleached hair) 10/ Meeting while walking dogs – see no 2 11/ Interrupted conversations/kisses 12/ Guys who are doctors or lawyers 13/ Ugly duckling turned into swan girls 14/ Mean girls who get their comeuppance 14/ Embarrassing/whacky families 15/ Awkward heroines – Bella Swan syndrome 16/ Cinderella stories – tough past, rosy future 17/ Boy next door love stories 18/ Geeky boys who grow up to be Love Gods

Now I’ve used many of the above – Chases – naturally Cute meets – certainly Public arguments – hell yes! And more besides.

Sometimes clichés are clichés for a reason – they are used time and time again because they work. But I do try to give my rom-com conventions a twist to make them original. And none of my leading men to date have been doctors or lawyers – the latest is an animator. Are you making the rom com conventions your own?

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Extra Skills Modern Writers Need

I’ll have to be quick today as I have a book waiting to be line edited, another which needs a first edit, and yet another which needs to be written. But I’ll do this first (see how much I love you, people!).

There was an interesting piece in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post about journalism – Romantic journalism is dead and gone by Aileen O’Meara. In it she says: ‘To be on top of the game, an newspaper journalist now has to be effectively be a multimedia producer . . . surf the net, update a Twitter account and a blog, offer an audio version of breaking news and self-podcast what happened, and carve out a career as a good performer on both radio and television panels.’

It got me thinking about writers, and what they are now expected to do.

Multimedia – check. I’ve written about this before – websites, blogs, social networking – all useful ways to stay connected with your readers.

Surf the net – looking for ideas for blogs and to keep up to date – check (along with reading the newspapers, keeping an ear on the radio and an eye on the television).

Update a Twitter account – check – along with Facebook if you write for children and/or YA, or if you write popular fiction.

Offer an audio version of breaking news – no. But writers are increasingly posting audio or video clips of themselves reading or talking about their books. In Ireland, O’Brien Press are taking the lead her with short, snappy, to camera pieces by their authors, posted on their website (and on Facebook).

Performing – check – CHECK I should say. You need to be able to engage with your audience live – children, teens or adults. It is no longer good enough to stand in front of any audience and simply read your work (unless you are J K Rowling or Roddy Doyle who both read so wonderfully). You need to be able to perform. And for people who spend most of their time behind a desk, inventing characters and scenes in their heads, this is pretty darn terrifying. But with a lot of work and practice, it can be done. It’s only taken me 15 years to be comfortable in front of an audience – adults still make me a bit nervous, kids not so much.

Radio and television – check – you must be able to promote your book for it to stand out. You must also be able to write newspaper columns and articles when publication time comes around.

And you must do all this while writing your next book and editing your previous book!

See, being a writer is a doddle. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

And later this week I’ll talk about what characteristics writers need to be successful.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX